KASESE, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni launched the Rwenzori Zonal Presidential Skilling Hub in Mubuku Town Council, reaffirming the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) commitment to “okukyenuura,” a Runyankore term meaning to uplift people through education and skills training.
Museveni said the hub embodies the NRM’s vision to empower Ugandans economically and intellectually. “The NRM’s work is to okukyenuura, to lift people out of poverty,” he said. “The Parish Development Model is aimed at helping families economically, but this hub is here to give knowledge. That’s another form of okukyenuura.”
Museveni shared his personal journey from a pastoralist family to national leadership, attributing his transformation to education. “When I went to school, by the time I reached A-Level, I had already started asking myself why can’t Uganda, why can’t Ankole, become like Europe? That was the power of education,” he said.
He cited the NRM’s 1996 push for Universal Primary and Secondary Education, but lamented the lack of commitment from some leaders and communities. “I said this is like murder when people aren’t educated, you’re killing their future,” Museveni said. He cited Ntoroko District, where he said only 30% of children who start nursery reach Primary Seven, as an example of educational inequity.
Museveni said the Presidential Skilling Hubs, which he is personally driving to completion, are designed to address this. Unlike UPE and USE programs, the hubs are fully residential and comprehensive, providing students with lodging, food and medical care.
He announced a shift in funding for graduates, directing support through district-level SACCOs. He also directed State House Comptroller Jane Barekye to expand the hubs and introduce additional trades such as motor mechanics, plumbing, weaving and electrical installation.
Museveni emphasized the NRM’s ideological foundation, rooted in a youth movement that rejected tribalism and sectarianism. “Our student movement came in to fight that tribalism,” he said. “We said no, our politics must not be about identity, but about the real needs of the people.”
He stressed the importance of meeting basic needs over identity politics or academic elitism. “Yes, I studied literature and know Shakespeare. But that doesn’t solve your problems. You need food, clothing, shelter, and health. Let’s go back to the basics,” he said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa praised the skilling initiative, calling it a “game changer” for youth who had dropped out of school. He said the hub offers a second chance and demonstrates the NRM’s mission to uplift Ugandans.
